Understanding the Impacts of Inflammation: External Inflamers

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF INFLAMMATION

Understanding inflammation is the foundation of all of my programs here at Champion Powered Programs HQ.

I generally walk my clients through three steps to help them understand how inflammation impacts their health.

Step 1: Understanding inflammation is learning the how and the why of inflammation

Step 2: Learning how to reduce inflammation through your food choices

Step 3: Understanding and reducing what I like to call “external inflamers”

This month, we will fully explore the topic of inflammation from the outside in, and you will walk away empowered with the knowledge to make healthier choices for you and your family.

WHAT ARE EXTERNAL INFLAMERS

External inflamers are all of the things that inflame your body from the outside in, instead of food, which is from the inside out (along with alcohol, medications, and anything else you ingest).

These could be items like sunscreen, plug-in air fresheners, body creams, and all of the lotions and potions we slather on our body and hair (that’s right – don’t forget your head).

You might be thinking, no way – the stuff I put on my skin isn’t impacting the inflammation inside my body. I can promise you, however, that if you aren’t yet aware of the effects of chemicals on your skin and in your hair, then you are probably being inflamed right now from external inflamers.

HOW EXTERNAL INFLAMERS CAUSE INFLAMMATION

Let’s first take a look at how inflammation, from the outside in, actually works.

The first kind of inflammation is when we can visibly see inflammation or an allergic reaction of some kind on our skin.

Usually, we notice this and stop buying the offending product. This would be considered an overt or acute type of inflammation, and it usually disappears once exposure to the substance is stopped.

The next kind of inflammation can’t be seen by the naked eye, and that’s what makes this one tricky. This type of inflammation can happen in your brain, cause a disconnect in your hormonal pathways, and/or even tax your liver.

This can be caused by a host of chemicals used in the personal care industry.

Did you know that, out of hundreds of personal care ingredients banned by the European Union (EU), the US Food and Drug Administration only banned 11?

And did you know that many of the ingredients in our personal care products are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents)?

ACTION STEPS

Today, I want you to write down all of the personal care items you use in just one day… shampoo, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, hair conditioner, lip balm, sunscreen, body lotion, shaving products if you’re a man, and cosmetics if you are a woman.

And what about your children? On any given day you might rub, spray, or pour some combination of sunscreen, diaper cream, shampoo, lotion, and maybe even insect repellent on their skin.

Do you know if the ingredients in your products are safe? Are they inflammatory? Have you ever considered investing in more natural products?

Make a list today of all of the products you use and the ones for which you’d like to start finding healthier alternatives.

There is a lot to discuss on this issue, and I’m not out to break it all down in this one blog post; however, stay tuned throughout this month, and we will go through multiple different products to see how you can reduce YOUR inflammation from the outside in.

The Environmental Working Group provides a great free resource to begin checking out all of your personal care products atwww.ewg.org. Begin TODAY!

Hi, I’m Anita!

I help individuals feel and perform their best, get fit, and stay fit for life!

Through my programs and signature Power Plate Formula® for mealtime success, I give high-performers, practical and applicable steps to improve their health and wellness that don’t require you to count calories or spend hours at the gym.